Character of the week: Andy Warhol

Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches. During the 1960s, I think, people forgot what emotions were supposed to be. And I don’t think they’ve ever remembered.

Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? I’m afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they’ll just have to learn how to be babies longer.

I suppose I have a really loose interpretation of “work,” because I think that just being alive is so much work at something you don’t always want to do. The machinery is always going. Even when you sleep.

Fantasy love is much better than reality love. Never doing it is very exciting. The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet. I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs. Sex is more exciting on the screen and between the pages than between the sheets.

In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.

BY ANDY WARHOL

Andrew Warhola (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. The author of this blog considers him to be the MOST important visual artist of his generation

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Andy Warhol, all he says are banalities, he talk all the time and he makes sure someone is always there to listen, so sometimes some of she trash she blurbs all the time is seen as having some meaning, he is the birth of the cult image made for profit, the father of the britney spears, paris hiltons and all the socialite trash that are pumped in to our lives so that a few in the media can make a quick buck out of the BIG BROTHER effect

as for his “art” well… ive been to an exhibit of his and everyone was yawning and saying how the hell did this get the art tittle in the first place its crap, no matter how deep and meaningful some enlightened people try to make it

and its the same as we calling music to crap made by some media hyped CULT hip hop – pop, top chart “artists” torture us with

your friends versus
your fiends
don’ loose your good deeds
across the mystic beast
you must sit on the sacred orchard
with your calm seas
a veil on their face
a veil on their sight
ha ha they see
a trick fancies
run and wandering
in vague silhouette

hey
it was a nightmare
it was a darkest shadow
don’t afraid believe me
believe me
I’ll open
I’m opening’
the window
for you and me!

“Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they’ll just have to learn how to be babies longer.”

of course, everybody wants to live longer, forever …..
then he tells us how we will live – the consequences of the wish!? A cute picture that hurts a lot when looking at the whole sentence:
aging & becoming a baby … again

this is what I like in Warhol. making a conversation with a nice visual comment that turns out to actually bother the listener.

and I think I found the art piece for his saying: the “old woman in bed”, a sculpture made by Ron Mueck. It looks alive (he puts each hair on the body).
however, this sculpture is the size of a baby….
and says it all – as Warhol’s quote.http://blog.adonline.id.au/ron-mueck/

“Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches. During the 1960s, I think, people forgot what emotions were supposed to be. And I don’t think they’ve ever remembered.”

I allways felt Andy Warhol like talking for me through his paintings. Now I discover with pleasure his deep wisdom too.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they’ll just have to learn how to be babies longer.”

A Romanian poem, that I like very much

We should

By Ana Blandiana

We should get born old,
To come wise,
So that we could decide our fate in the world,
To know from the very first crossroad, which roads begin,
And irresponsible to be only the wish of walking,
And than after to become younger and younger, walking
Mature and strong to reach the creation gate,
Passing through it and entering in love teenagers,
To be children at the birth of our sons.
They would be anyway then older than us,
They would teach us to speak, they would swing us to sleep,
We would disappear the more and more, becoming more little,
Like the grapes grain, like the pea grain, like the wheat grain….

Recently I have seen a documentry film about Warhol done by the BBC, in some scene some journalist intreview hin ask him about why he hire some one to do the screening work of Monro or any one he presented?. he answered because it is easier, I think that tells everything about Warhol whom I like and respect as creer maker.
Amir Khatib

I too have never heard of this artist. Thank you for sharing this.
Be the change you want to see happen around you first indeed! To do so one must be bold and step out of his/her comfort zone as to stand up for his/her passion and chosen cause. It will be important to keep on nourishing the spirit and to reflect on the steps to take that do align with the ideals of the dream, while one is pursuing to materialize it into reality. One should never let meaning and passion for a cause become bland – but keep it alive – also when the dream comes true. One should never forget to be grateful and thankful and to cherish each accomplishment and acknowledge that even the missteps along the way served to a purpose.
If one looses passion, spark and belief for the chosen cause, part of that person dies with that.
It is an art and an act of balance to keep the fire within burning and to never give up to be true to yourself.

hi to all of you,i just wanted to say that ANDY WARHOL comes from a east of slovakia from a town called MEDZYLABORCE.i come from slovakia myself and went to his exhibition as a child with my mum……
nice and true “change as they repeat themself”
and yes we have to change things ourself…or we have to change the way we look at the things!but even that is a process that doesnt just happens straight away….
well i know what i am doing on my next visit home to slovakia!go and check out the cola cans and the chicken footprints!:)

Always found that man interesting
In fact, I always loved to see people being out of the mold … originals and or marginals :)
Love and inspires me when people do not follow standards but live their difference and “speak their difference”
I thank all those you have presented up till now, you included.

I really can’t say about the 60’s but what i really think about the difference between reality and imagination is that sometimes we need to built a myth around a person,how we see him or what we feel about him and that’s far stronger than reality because it’s flawless,idealized and without disappointments on his behalf..So i completely agree with this part..everything else is less important for me,because i believe that love has the power to affect everything in our lives..

Just as William Shakespierre said: “All the world as stage and we are just actors…….” The reality is hidden in front of our eyes it can be seem through our heart.
I love every thoughts and posts by you Paolo.
Merci beaucoup.

I prefer reality ! and nothing but reality ! ues we do need fantasy to have dreams , imagination and we need reality to make our dreams come true so both reality and fantasy are essentail to life .
thanks Mr. Coelho

This is the first time I’ve heard of this guy, but that doesn’t matter. His ideas are the ones that matter. There are two concepts that made me think.
First, he says that if he is afraid that if he looks at something long enough, it will lose all of its meaning. I don’t know if that could be true (I have never tried it, till now:)), but I know that when I repeat a word endlessly there comes a moment when I no longer associate that word to an image, there comes a moment when that word means absolutely nothing to me. What if what happens with words/sounds, happened with images as well? Of course that “blank” moment would not last, we would eventually associate words/images to our conventional system of meanings/values, but my point is that the fear of this man makes sense.
With regard to the second concept “the power of imagination”, I share the exact same opionion. It is true, in our imagination things are more beautiful, intense, pure, so “perfect” and it is impossible to feel that exact same thing in reality, simply because reality is not tailored to match your expectations, while your imagination yes. Of course, I am not saying that the imagination replaces reality, all I am saying is that unfortunately/fortunately, what happens in reality will never be what we imagined it to be. Unfortunately, the difference between reality and imagination often times results in disillusionment but on the other hand, if we had the power “to program” things in our mind as we would want them to be, there would be no surprise, there would be no unknown, bottom line there would be no thrill. So let’s acknowledge the fact that imagination is indeed powerful, but reality as well, and if we can manage to keep in mind that the abovementioned are never going to be the same, I think we have found the key to a balanced life.

Good thoughts of Mr. Warhol! I agree with some statements, but not all of them! Anyway… I am surprised, that same negative storytelling even going on the in the 60′ where people had much more fun in life. They did not have to encounter the pressure we’re dealing with nowadays, or let’s put it this way: “the world was turning much slower & relaxter those days…” So seems like people will not change to the better and learn from that?!

@PAOLO:
#1
Thx. for sharing!
#2
What about finally posting female “character of the week”? It is about time by now…
#3
Regarding “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them. – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist” WHY is it “wise men” only – what about “the wise person”?

What he says reminds me of my dear professor, who uses to explain everything with the expression: “It is all Brain” and then his eyes look down like trying to find a sense or make some more links to his theory.
This man reminds me of my father and many other people around me who have lost the light in their eyes, because “the real life” has made them “realistic”.
The only difference between his words and most of people I compare to him is that they don’t see love as an object.
He might be right about fantasy in some occasions but fantasy is just thoughts, incomparable with the real feelings, with sensing.
I am just wondering now if this guy had any children.
(Anyway, maybe I’ll check myself later.)
I am wondering because that would be the only way on meeting with the famous Unconditional love, and see if this one he would be able to put it in his gray square.
It is so easy to read so much pain on his face and perceive the sadness…

I only think that this is so sad. Man was created to keep light and evolve, but our weaknesses will make us unable to see the wonders that are around us.
HOPE and FAITH can be so magic. Really!

What scares me while I think about it now is that, when I was little I used to see such kind of tired faces around. When they used to say that it was going to be the same for me one day too.
Maybe we don’t remember but there is one time when we are like Peter Pan, we don’t want to grow old. That is what I wanted then, and that is what I still want.
It scared me then, but I learned that it is up to you to make the difference. (I don’t have that fear anymore. hehehe OK! Maybe just a little.)

I agree on something with Andy. The power of fantasy. It is really immense if you know how to use it. A very strong tool as brain it is too, but fantasy it isn’t all what it is. No way!
We aren’t just thoughts. Maybe the neurons inside of our brain can’t feel nothing but our skin does, and it is so close to our soul, to our pain and joy…
Maybe sometimes we forget to ask ourselves, where does all that pain come from, cause we can’t call pain fantasy, for sure. hehehh

Sometimes I get lost in such kind of thoughts too, or maybe lets better say used to get lost, cause I hope I won’t anymore. :)
But there is Pain and Love to open your eyes again and see the light.

I really intend to ask my professor this question:
“The love you feel at for your son, can you call that all brain?” I really hope on some light in his eyes, but who knows.
First I have to get the courage to do it. :)

Well, dear WOLs don’t forget that man was created for divine intentions, not to experience big deceptions and this life is just a step to enjoy and learn.

Most of the ideas mentioned by Warhol;very impressive.And he was a great artist who could able to see world differently…Unfortunately I do not agree with the idea of repeting images..Images are just images..under meaning and what exist behind makes the differences..even though all the scenes are the same;you are not the same…
thank you for sharing wth us M.Coelho.

in the sixties I looked at him being politically important, fitting into the whole movement, and trying to uncover the weaknesses of the society by just fitting into its style. that’s the reason why he painted the cans and sold them so well :o)
thus, this part of his work looks like a joke for me that he heavily enjoyed.

my perception of him has changed over time, and especially when I came to know his non-can work – his life, comments & originals.

his originals have often something that goes beyond, that cannot be clearly shown on a reproduction.

his sayings and also part of his life show me a sensitive part.
what one will discover depends on what kind of “glasses” one puts on. thus, he is for me always an example how fast one’s perception and understanding can change …. depending on the glasses. may be it is the best to leave him this way…. and enjoy what generates a good “tickle” or listening to the bad one.

The virtual life is an ever increasing problem in society today and it is not helped by the ever demanding market of consumers. People are quiet content living within online games, chat rooms and pornography websites. As time pushes on the quality of 3D, virtual gaming and brain stimulation will draw people into a net of virtuality and away from real life. While in the short term this is not harmful; in the long run people could spend years and even decades living a fantasy life.

We sometimes grow more in the presence of discomfort rather than in comfort where nothing happens. Now it depends what gives you discomfort and tranction (reality or fantasy)… The choice, any choice, is yours.

It’s science fiction at its purest.
“Yes life is a series of images that change as they repeat themselves.”
You go 1,2,3 steps forward and go backwards in order to to get back to the future so that you can make sense of your life and shape it in the way you are supposed to be : YOURSELF.
Dancing is exactly the same.
Music takes you to different places travelling in time.
All these help rebuilding the dream as you’ve said Paulo.
…and becoming the author of your life.

I believe true romantics
Live in a fantasy world.
They have a photographic memory.
That permits them to admire sunrises and moonlights.
They know it’s an illusion
But…heck! it quenches their thirst.
And that is when the magic happens,
When reality kicks in,
… in the space in between …
&
You just have to tap into the Source.

..Andy Warhol had this to say about the attack: “Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there – I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it’s like watching television – you don’t feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it’s all television.” [from Google]
LIFE is a .. theatre or as Andy Warhol said: ALL TELEVISION! It shows our material self and the I, the .. spectator! Whenever the two are ONE, I think, it is the ecstasis!

I remember the ‘pop art’ movement and the fashion in films, paintings and clothes. Then mini skirts, the Beatles and all this colourful World; being a teenager at that time. The most optimistic, beautiful, time of my life. Then I got engaged in 1968, married in 1970 and a mother in 1971!! My role in my life’s play changed and I am still .. acting and I am .. the .. spectator. ;-]
LOVE,
Thelma xxx

Ok, I did not know him, but I agree with his ideas, in great lines. We have to be fresh honest open minded as kids are. To be curios to learn each day a new thing.
Love sometimes is not as depicted in romances or novels. ( soap operas worst example). But can be better than in novels or movies. If one get good luck.
First I thought is Rod Stewart…the singer, same hair style.
Welkome back dear Paulo, hope you find what you were looking for in your retreat.

Really interesting! I don’t agree with all of the statements, but that is what makes him appealing to me. Although in my opinion,some of them are true. They give a very interesting insight of this man picturing him as original and unique.
Thanks for sharing your world with us.